Coastline management

The Shoalhaven coastline is approximately 165 kilometres long. The proportion managed by Shoalhaven City Council is more than any other local government area in NSW. The Shoalhaven coast is very diverse with major estuaries, many coastal lakes, long wild beaches and small pocket beaches, extensive coastal dune systems, towering sandstone headlands and rugged bluffs. Shoalhaven City Council has important coastal management responsibilities, including land use planning, emergency response, safe access and recreation facilities, tourism, habitat and biodiversity protection and heritage protection.

The Coastal Zone Management Plan 2018 is Council’s overarching plan for coastline management. It’s supported by expert studies which are reviewed regularly to ensure Council is making management decisions based on the best available science.

The Plan focuses on understanding and reducing risk, i.e. the likelihood and consequences of coastal hazard impact on biodiversity, homes, infrastructure and recreation facilities. Risk management requires an adaptive approach, structured to deal with uncertainty, change and evolving scientific knowledge.

These estuaries are dynamic environments prone to both sudden changes (for instance floods) and progressive changes over thousands of years. Shoalhaven's estuaries are at different stages of their natural evolution.

Some estuaries are wave dominated estuaries, also known as ICOLLs - intermittently closed and opened lakes and Lagoons. Globally, ICOLLS are quite rare. The NSW coast is home to most of Australia’s ICOLLS and Shoalhaven City Council manages four; Swan Lake, Lake Conjola, Burrill Lake and Lake Tabourie.